Forever & Always
by StarInMyHeart
Summary: Eli tells Clare he has no feelings for her, she believes him and tries to move on. Drew's mother doesn't like Alli, and urges him to find a girlfriend. Solution: fake dating? Surprise Parings
1. Chapter 1

Before you kill me for not making this story ClarexEli, I must say that the story has no ending right now, I'm going to see where it takes me. Aislinn's twitter has the cutest picture of her and Luke (Drew) which inspired this story. I am going to be really busy in the near future, but I'll try to update it as much as I can.

Note: Takes place after 'Still Fighting It Part 1'

. .

"-and he was just being so cute," Alli Bhandari's ramble comes to a stop, "Clare? Are you even listening to me?" She asks slightly annoyed, adjusting her violet sweater. Clare snaps out of her trance, and focuses her cyan eyes on her friend.

"Of course," She swallows, her eyes nervously darting around the booming cafeteria, "You were talking about, umm... math?" She squints, her voice noticeably high after the slight pause.

"No, Clare," Alli huffs, " God, you are really not over Eli!" The raven haired girl shakes her head, and takes a bite of her salad.

"Wha- how can you say that?" Clare spurts, averting her eyes to her floral printed dress.

"Oh come on! You haven't acted like this since KC!" Alli exclaims, Clare glares at her, and glances around their corner table, making sure no one is listening.

"Alli, shut up! Yes, I am mopey over Eli, can we just drop it? He's obviously not into me!" Clare whisper screams at her friend.

"Fine, fine..." Alli sighs, "But he's stupid if he doesn't like you, any guy would be lucky to be with you!"

"Thanks, Alli," Clare offers her a small smile, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Look at him," Alli gestures to Eli and Adam's table, "He's trying so hard to be intense, and emo is so 2009!" Alli wrinkles her nose, "I'm sure Drew has a friend that will actually appreciate how amazing my best friend is."

"Bad news." A boyish voice states sadly, joining their conversation. Drew Torres strides toward the table, and slides in next to Alli. "Hey, Clare," he nods, she smiles.

"What do you mean?" Alli asks concerned.

"Alright, so you know how my mother is not exactly your biggest fan?" He starts out, Alli nods, "Well, she's taking trying to break us up to a whole new level. She's having this party tomorrow night, and she says I have to bring a date, and if I can't find a suitable one she can arrange one with one of her friend's daughters."

"Are you kidding me?" Alli bursts, her eyes wide with anger. Drew nods solemnly.

"What do I do? If I go to the party with one of her friends, she'll insist I date them."

"What about a fake date?" She asks, her eyes bright with intelligence.

"With who?" He asks, his blue eyes shining.

"I think I'm going to go..." Clare trails off, standing up, obviously feeling like a third wheel.

"Wait, Clare, no. You're my best friend, the only person I would trust to fake date my boyfriend!" Alli pleads sincerely.

"Wait, what?" Clare gushes, her face stricken with confusion.

"Come on, just pretend you're dating Drew, it will make you-know-who totally jealoussss!" Ali sings, emphasizing the 's.'

"Oh, come on, Clare, I'm not that bad," Drew grins, cockily.

"Fine," Clare says hesitantly.

"Thank you so much, Clare!" Drew exclaims. "Call you later?" He asks Alli.

"Of course," Alli smiles, as Drew walks away. "Thank you so much, Clare, you have no idea how much it means to me!" Alli gushes.

"Yeah, yeah," Clare smiles at her friend.

xx

"Adam." Drew chirps, approaching his brother's table, Adam and Eli pause their conversation, and turn towards Drew.

"What's up?" Adam asks.

"Nothing," Drew replies, a smile playing on his lips.

"What are you going to do about tomorrow night? There's no way Mom is going to let you go with Alli!" Adam speculates, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Yeah, about that, Alli broke up with me over the whole thing, so I'm taking Clare." Of course Eli had to be taking a sip of his water at the time, and nearly started choking when he heard Drew. "Dude, are you okay?" Drew asks, Eli nods.

"Clare... Edwards?" Adam questions, 'So Eli does like Clare," he thinks.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool right? Are you guys friends?" Drew asks completely oblivious to the situation.

"Yeah," Adam answers as the bell rings.

"Cool, well I'll see you at home..." Drew waves, as he exits the cafeteria.

"Well that was interesting."

vv

"So, I hear you're dating my brother..." Adam interrogates, as he and Eli meet Clare at her locker. She looks up at the two boys sheepishly.

"Uhh, yeah I'm guessing he told you?" She asks, nervously, searching Eli's face for a reaction.

"Yep." He says cooly,

"I was going to tell you guys but he, uh, beat me to it, I guess." She laughs nervously, trying to brush them off.

"I never pegged you as the type to date a jock, Edwards," Eli mocks, as she slams her navy locked shut, with a satisfying click. Clare rolls her eyes as they begin their decent to English, her heels echoing off the linoleum.

"Actually, I've only ever dated jocks..." She realizes, both boys burst out laughing.

"I really cannot picture you with a jock, especially my brother." Adam gasps trying to contain his laughter, as Eli hangs his head, still laughing.

"Ha Ha, very funny," Clare says dryly, clutching her books to her chest, as they enter the Ms. Dawes classroom.

"Calm down, Edwards. And explain to us your obsession with the dumb-as-dirt, ball obsessed, pig headed species known as the jock." Eli mock begs. Adam laughs into his palm.

"Oh shut up, Eli. K.C. Guthrie is in higher classes than you and he's a jock, and a tenth grader," Clare retorts, flipping through her notebook.

"Guthrie?" The dark boy chuckles, his sage eyes smoldering. "I cannot believe this. You dated Guthrie! Did you know about this?" He pauses and turns to Adam, who shakes his head.

"I cannot believe you didn't tell us!" He says in disbelief.

"Yeah, well there's a lot of things I don't tell you guys." Clare replies angrily, as the bell rings, signaling the end of the conversation.

'Girls,' Eli thinks as he begins to blacken his nails with a sharpie.

yy

"This is definitely NOT working, Alli!" Clare meets Alli at her locker after practically sprinting out of English before Adam or Eli could utter a syllable.

"What do you mean?" Alli asks, leaning against a neighboring locker.

"Drew told Eli, and he thinks it's funny. He's obviously NOT into me!" Alli rolls her eyes.

"That's what he wants you to think! He's totally crushing on you! "

"You really think so?" Clare smiles shyly.

"Please, I'm a boy analyst expert!" Alli insists, giggling. Clare laughs too. "Oh, hey come over my house after school tomorrow. I'll help you get ready for your 'date' with Drew," Alli smiles, and uses air quotes around the word date.

"Bye, Alli!" Clare calls over her shoulder as she heads toward her locker.

../

"You're jealous." Adam states as he and Eli exit Ms. Dawes English classroom.

"Of?" Eli trails off, keeping his poker face.

"Cut the crap, Eli, you like Clare. You're reaction at lunch today was proof." Adam insists, adjusting his beanie.

"Me... like Clare... Clare Edwards? I thought we went over this, I most definitely do not like her." Eli assures his friend, moving to the right to avoid last period traffic in the hallway.

"Then explain you reaction at lunch." Adam prompts, smirking.

"I was just surprised Clare would actually go out with a jock, especially one like your brother." He lies flawlessly, which was still not enough for Adam.

"Yeah, yeah." he huffs, swatting the air.

"Man, you have got to stop hanging out with Clare. You're starting to talk like her... it's scary!" Eli exaggerates, as they laugh in unison.

* * *

Recent Revelations:

A. The Degrassi writers totally suck if they break up Eli and Clare.

B. I love Luke Bilyk way more than I should. But he's fifteen and I'm fourteen nbd. :)

C. The way Munro Chambers say 'OUCH' makes me want to kiss him.

D. This story will probably end up being ClarexEli

review. review. review.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Your reviews really motivated me to post another chapter. I hope you like it...

: :

"Alright, so Drew's football practice should end any minute." Alli checks her phone, "So all you have to do, is talk to him about tonight, hug him, and Eli will bubble with jealousy." There aren't many people in the hallway due to the fact, it's twenty minutes before homeroom.

"Why am I wearing purple?" Claire wonders aloud.

"Because, I told Drew to wear purple, and your outfits need to be color coordinated! The Degrassi colors are purple and gold. By wearing those colors you are saying you support his football team!" Alli rambled.

"Alright, whatever you say." Clare replies, smoothing out her simple purple dress.

"And how great is it that Eli's locker is right by Drew's? He'll totally get jealous!" Alli exclaims, fixing her eyeliner in her locker mirror. "Oh, and tonight, be sure to steer clear of Mrs. Torres, she's an insane bitch, avoid her as much as possible. And try not to spend too much time with Adam, because that will give him signs that you don't want to be with Drew, and he will tell Eli. Trust me, he's a guy."

"Alli, I really don't know if this is going to work. Eli just isn't really the jealous type to begin with, and if he really doesn't like me this is totally pointless." Clare's doubts flood her mind, and pour out of her mouth while Alli shakes her head.

"Oh believe me he likes you." Drew's smooth tone voices, sure enough dressed in a purple v neck, jeans, and Nike sneakers. Clare's mouth gapes.

"How do you- we never even told you who she likes!" Alli stutters in shock as Drew smirks.

"Yeah, I know, but I put two and two together. After I left you guys at lunch yesterday I went to talk to my brother, who was sitting with that Eli, guy. I played along telling him you dumped me because of my mother, and when I said I was dating Clare, Eli practically started choking to death." Drew smiles, at his discover as Clare's mouth gapes, and Alli practically screams I told you so!

"Wait, but how do you know that I like Eli?" Clare utters, her expression a mixture of shock and happiness.

"You guys hang out enough. No excuses, Clare, I know it's him you like. I am people smart." He grins triumphantly at Alli.

"Alright, fine, I admit it." Clare discloses, Drew's smile stays plastered on his face.

"I knew it! Ready to make him totally jealous?" he blurts. She nods.

"Wait, let me fix her hair!" Alli screeches, adjusting a few of her cinnamon haired friend's curls. "Okay, and perfect! Now go." Drew awkwardly offers Clare his left arm, which she loops with her right arm. "Wait no this is all wrong!" Alli voices. "It has to go like this. Looping arms is like saying we're trying to look like we like each other but we really don't." She finishes, adjusting the pair, so Clare's right hand is clasped around Drew's swoon-worthy bicep. "Okay, now go!" Clare and Drew look at each other for a second before Alli pushes them on their way.

"Okay, so when we get around the corner, I'm going to apologize that our first date has to be my mother's party, just play along." Drew whispers in her ear, his cool breathe internally making Clare shiver.

"Okay," Clare replies, as they turn the corner to the junior hallway. Sure enough, Eli is standing at his locker, plucking books out.

"I'm so sorry that our first date has to be at my mother's stupid party!" Drew exclaims like he really means it. _Wow, he's a pretty good actor! _Clare thinks to herself.

"I told you to stop apologizing!" Clare insists, "We'll do something fun tomorrow night after your game!" _Oh yeah, he's definitely listening if not looking. _

"Yeah, I know... but tonight will probably be boring, it will be a bunch of old people and their bizarre children." He shakes his head.

"Nothing with you is ever boring," Clare says sweetly, as they pass Eli.

"Has anyone ever told you, that you're totally amazing?" Drew asks, as they reach his locker.

"Once or twice," She winks, as the bell sounds through the hall.

"Lunch?" he questions, she nods.

"Mhmm," she sounds, leaning in for a hug. She feels his muscles flex around her lower back, as she winds her arms around his neck. After a few seconds, they release each other, and she gives him one more knowing smile before heading into history.

: :

By the looks of Eli's face he had definitely heard the entire conversation, and saw the bicep holding and the hug. He was not happy. His usually clear emerald eyes were stormy and his usual calm expression (except for when fitz was around) was disheveled. He watched Drew walk down the hallway with a scowl present on his mouth. He watched the football star turn the corner, before practically stomping into history. Clare of course was present in class, because she wass enrolled in all junior honors classes because the gifted program had been cut. She was sitting at her desk, which was coincidentally right next to Eli's.

"Well, if it isn't the better half of Degrassi's power couple," he teases as he slides into his seat.

"Hi, Eli," she replies without looking up.

"Oh God, school colors... You're turning into one of them. All of the signs are there." He says dramatically.

"What signs?" She asks. She stops leafing through the notebook to meet his eyes.

"Well, let's see. You're dating a football player, you're wearing school colors, and now you're attending football games? Next thing you know you'll be trying out for power squad." He mocks, she rolls her eyes.

"Wait, how did you know I'm going to the game tomorrow?" She asks, a devilish smile playing on her lips.

"You and boyfriend were practically screaming while walking down the junior hallway this morning." He retorts, smirking.

"You're really going to call him boyfriend?" She laughs, obviously disappointed with his answer.

"Yep." He replies simply, popping the letter p.

"Why? Are you jealous of his athletic ability?" She teases, as he looks at her horrified.

"Ouch, blue eyes, is that supposed to be an insult?" Clare opens her mouth to shoot back a comeback, but the bell rings, so she just shuts her mouth and shakes her head, as he continues to smirk.

: :

Revelations:

A: I woke up to 42 Emails this morning. 15 were reviews, 17 were story alerts, 9 were favorite stories, and 1 was a facebook notification. thank you guys so freakin much!

B: Let's Be Friends by Emily Osment is just about the most straight forward song ever.

C: Animal by Neon Trees & Fearless by Taylor Swift are the best songs for Eli & Clare

D: Reviews make me smile, and smiling makes me update!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, hey amazing readers! I'm so sorry about the holdup, I've been so busy, and I'm only going to get busier. I had my first day of high school on Wednesday, and I've had tennis practice every single day. I've made some pretty awesome friends/Degrassi fans, so I'm good to go. Not to mention, I have half the football team in my homeroom (wink, wink) I have been receiving your reviews, and I'm so sorry I haven't responded. Oh and just so you know, the italics writing are what the character is thinking. I had a bit of writers block the past few days, so I decided to wait, and give you a long kickass chapter, rather than a short awful one. Hope it was worth the wait.

: :

"So, I hear you're dating my ex-girlfriend." K.C's voice rings through Drew's head as he plops down next to the boy in Physics. _Wait, what? Clare and KC?_

"Dude, I'm sorry, I had no idea-" Drew begins, KC shakes his head.

"It's cool, we dated for a while last year, but then I cheated on her with Jenna, and she found out, and all that crap." KC swats the air, to signal no problem.

"Are you positive?" Drew asks, still kind of shocked that a bookworm like Clare would have dated a jock like KC.

"Yeah, our relationship was kind of short lived and wasn't really a big deal to me." '_Lies.' _Drew thinks to himself, the look on KC's face obviously means it was a big deal.

"Cool. So, you don't mind if I date her?" Drew asks easily, not really caring about the answer. He was going to have a very public breakup with Clare in a few days anyway... right?

"Nope. Go crazy," KC mutters, a look of regret in his eyes.

"Thanks, Dude." Drew grins, trying to play the part.

"It's really no big deal." He replies, monotone,"You don't have to thank me."

"Uh, yeah, I know." Drew replies awkwardly.

"Wanna study for the Physics test?" KC asks quietly, not meeting Drew's eyes.

"Umm, sure..." Drew responds, grabbing his binder out of his backpack. _Well, this isn't awkward, or anything..._

: :

"Hey," Clare mutters as she drops her tray on the table and slides in next to Adam.

"Well, twice in one day, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Eli remarks wittily before taking a bite out of his apple.

"Oh am I interrupting guys only lunch?" She mocks, snapping a carrot in half.

"Maybe you are..." Eli trails off, offering Clare a smirk, Adam rolls his eyes.

"I could always relocate..." Clare eyes him with a look saying 'Don't test me I will do it,'

"I guess we could make an exception." He mutters slyly, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Some how I knew you would say that." Clare smiles triumphantly as Eli glowers at her beneath his bangs.

"Don't get used to it," He smiles smugly, Clare rolls her eyes.

"Have you read this?" Adam exclaims, looking up from his comic, Eli shakes his head.

"Nope. I've been reading this one all day, it sucks." Eli answers, taking a sip of water.

"You have got to read this one!" Adam practically shouts. Eli looks at him, quizzically.

"Is it Chinatown Saga?" He asks plainly.

"YES! It's awesome!" Adam nods eagerly, as Eli shakes his head.

"So not happening." He says simply, Clare looks at the pair rather confused. Adam opens his mouth to explain, but she cuts him off before he can.

"I don't want to know." She states simply, holding up her hand.

"Come on, Clare! I really think you would like it!" Adam protests, his eyes pleading. Eli looks on amused.

"Just like you thought I would like Dead Arm!" She counters. Eli slaps his forehead in disbelief and Adam's jaw drops.

"Are you kidding me?" He says in astonishment, "Did she just mess up the name of the best band possibly ever?" Eli nods dramatically.

"I believe she just did."

"Oh you guys are so dramatic!" Clare exclaims, swatting the air.

"Why are we friends with her?" Adam demands, with a straight face.

"Honestly, I have no idea."

: :

"You know, Clare, I just realized I know just about nothing about you, and we're 'dating'" The two are sitting pressed up against Degrassi's blue lockers, their books scattered all around them. Clare looks up from Trig homework to meet his eyes.

"Now, that you mention it, I don't know much about you either, Drew." Clare realizes, Drew smiles.

"Twenty questions?" He asks, still grinning. She nods.

"But we have to study too." He rolls his eyes jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go first..." He furrows his brow, in thought, "What's your favorite color?" He asks simply.

"Green." _The color of Eli's eyes._

"Blue. Your turn."

"What's your favorite band?" _Please do not say Dead Hand._

"The Beatles." Clare looks up from her book and smiles.

"Oh, thank God! Every guy I'm friends with is obsessed with Dead Hand." Drew laughs and shakes his head.

"Adam is way too obsessed with that band. I still do not know how he convinced our parents to let him go to Hamilton to see their reunion show." He laughs again, still shaking his head at the memory. Clare laughs sweetly, as he relives the moment.

"Favorite movie?" He asks.

"Inception," She replies almost instantly.

"Avatar was like twenty times better!" Drew insists, Clare's jaw drops.

"No way! Avatar is about a bunch of blue super humans, Inception actually has a message!" She fires back, he rolls his eyes.

"Come on, Clare! You know it was a great movie!"

"Yeah, yeah if it will make you shut up." She replies, he jokingly rolls his eyes.

"Just ask the next question!" He demands, his tone and smile teasingly.

"When was the last time you read a comic book?" He raises an eyebrow, she blushes, "Just answer the question."

"When I was like seven?" He replies, obviously confused.

"Don't ask," She answers his confusion, holding up her hand, "Trust me."

"Okay," he says, holding his hands up mockingly, "What's the craziest thing you have ever done?" Clare groans, letting her head fall into her hands.

"Next question." She requests, her voice muffled. Drew laughs, and shakes his head.

"No, way! You are definitely going to tell me, I will tickle you." He threatens. Clare turns her head in her hands, so that one of her blue eyes is peeking out, making her look adorable.

"How do you know I'm ticklish?" She asks, innocently. Drew smiles wickedly and dives toward her, securing her in his grip. She immediately starts laughing, as his finger tips press into her stomach.

"Dr-ew... St-oppp itttt... Ok-ay... I'll te-ll you... Just stop!" She manages through her laughter. He stops, and she ceases her squirming, breathing heavily. He's sitting slouched against a locker, while she is draped across his stomach, his arm securing her. "Okay, so when I was a niner I was like really strange, I insisted on wearing a uniform, and I basically only cared about school. Then, I met KC and it was the first time I really liked a boy, so I basically did anything to impress him. Long story short, one day at lunch, he dared me to sing in front of the whole lunch room. Let's just say, I am not the next Beyonce." Drew laughs, picturing the scene unfolding.

"I still find it hard to believe that you dated someone like KC." He says after his laughter dies down, shaking his head slightly.

"He wasn't like he was now when we first started going out." She says quietly, staring at the ceiling.

"Really?" Drew asks, surprised. He had never known KC other than he was now, kind of jerky, athletic, and always with Jenna. "What was he like?" Clare looks to Drew for a minute and sucks in a breath.

"I don't know, he was just different. He was a skater boy with a mysterious past. He was just as smart as me, and he would challenge everything I said. He tried to lure me out of my shell, and open up to him. He was jealous every time a guy even spoke to me... he acted like he cared about something other than sports." She plays with her hands, and keeps her eyes averted as she speaks. Drew nods sympathetically .

"It's kinda weird to hear that. I've only known KC as the typical football player/ basketball star, y'know?" She nods, and he leans his head against the locker. The bell rings, and Clare realizes that she's still lying on top of him, and she quickly scrambles to a sitting position. The empty hallway begins to flood with high school students and the two rise to their feet. "I'll uh see you tonight?" He asks, securing his backpack. She nods, and awkwardly waves, as she makes her way to her next class.

Behind the corner, Eli shakes his head, his eyes glowing green, and I am not talking about the color. Eli Goldworthy was officially jealous.

: :

Am I the only one that would love to lay on Drew's abs? Reviews are appreciated! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Longest chapter yet, whoo! I'm really liking where this story is going! Read & review!

: :

"Okay, perfect!" Alli removes her hands from Clare's cinnamon curls, after clipping back her bangs. Clare's room is covered with clothes that Alli had ruled out. The closet was practically empty, and the dresser and desk were both covered with makeup, perfumes, and hair accessories. She had dressed Clare in a simple long sleeved cloth black dress that fell just above the knee, and black flats.

"We're finally done?" Clare asks, praying her friend will say yes. Alli nods and sighs.

"Yes, we're done getting you physically ready. Now, I must prepare you for Mrs. Torres." Clare laughs at Alli's seriousness, Alli glares.

"I've met her before, " Clare begins, "She seems really nice!" Alli glares even more.

"Mrs. Torres is not a nice person, Clare." She states, her tone flaring with anger. "She's the biggest bitch in all of Canada! You know that she told Drew he had to break up with me!"

"Alli, calm down. She's probably just being protective. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you. Drew has a lot on his plate right now between football and school, and she probably just wants him to not have any distractions from his football career and school work." Clare replies, trying to calm her friend down.

"Then why would she tell him he had to bring a date to the party?" Alli fires back, tapping her foot waiting for a response.

"I don't know, Alli," Clare replies, "But, you can't stress over it, you know that Drew really likes you, and that's really all that matters." Alli smiles at the end.

"Yeah, I know," She continues smiling looking down at her shoes. "Just promise me you'll avoid her as much as you can?" She asks, Clare nods.

"Sure, I'll avoid her, but she'll probably want to talk to me." Clare sighs, trying to please her friend.

"You're right." Alli marvels, as she begins to pace, "Just like be nice, but not too nice. Like don't compliment her on her outfit." Clare cuts her off.

"Alli, trust me, I got this... I think." Clare says, crinkling her eyebrows.

"Alright, fine. I trust you." Alli huffs, loading her clothes, shoes, and makeup into her large bag.

After receiving directions to Drew's house, and sending Alli and her bag of wonders on her way, Clare set off on the short walk to the Torres's. She and Alli had made a plan that Clare would call Alli the second she got home so they could talk about the night. Clare approached a brown medium sized house, that was crowded with cars, and after checking the address figured out it was the Torres's. She shuffled up the front steps, and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. She heard heavy footsteps approach the door, before Adam opened it.

"Hey, good it's you, I thought it was another of my mom's weird friends." He breathes a sigh of relief, Clare laughs.

"Nice to see you too, Adam." He rolls his eyes.

"Follow me, Drew and I are hiding out in the family room." He grabs her wrist, and tugs her through the house, past the ongoing party, and into a beige room, with a couple of couches, and a TV. Drew was sprawled out on more than half of the one couch, watching hockey. he was clad in a black polo and jeans.

"Hey, Clare." He smiles, patting the open seat next to him. She smiles, and makes her way over to the couch, and sits down as Drew sits up.

"She's making us match, again?" Clare whispers, shaking her head. Drew nods.

"You know her and her clothes." He whispers back.

"This. is. so. weird." Adam states, loudly and slowly, Drew and Clare both turn to look at him.

"What?" Drew asks, smirking at his brother.

"One of my best friends and my brother together." He shutters, Clare laughs.

"What is this party for anyway?" She asks, twirling her hair around her index finger.

"Our mother is running for some PTA position thing and invited a bunch of the school board members." Drew explains, "Pretty boring, I know, that's why we've been hiding out here for the past half hour."

The trio spent the next half hour hanging out in the Family Room, watching hockey, and talking.

"Drew?" Mrs. Torres's voice rang through the hallway.

"Shit." Drew mumbles, as his mother appears in the doorway.

"Drew, there you are. I want you to meet some people- Oh, you must be Clare! It's so nice to see you again." Mrs. Torres smiles and looks Clare over.

"Hi, Mrs. Torres," Clare smiles, "It's great to see you again too!"

"Both of you, come have some dinner!" Clare looks to Drew who shrugs, and stands up. She follows in suit as he clasps their hands together and follow his mother out into the hallway. Adam mocks them and Clare makes a face at him. Mrs. Torres leads the teens into the kitchen, and hands them each a plate.

"She's not going to let us out of her sight now. We're stuck here." Drew leans down and whispers in Clare's ear as they make their way through the food line. The party was mainly PTA members and the school board, and Mrs. Torres was obviously trying to make Drew seem like the perfect son. They both finish going through the food line, and Mrs. Torres waves them over to the two empty seats next to her at the dining room table.

"This is my son, Drew, and his girlfriend, Clare." She says, to the couple across from her. "Clare, Drew, this is Mr. and Mrs. Palmer." The couple were most likely in their fifties, they smiled warmly at the two.

"Drew, I've seen you play, you're a great player." Mr. Palmer spoke, his voice deep and genuine. A smile rose to Drew's face, his dimples making an appearance.

"Thank you, sir." Drew and Mr. Palmer continued to discuss football. After a few minutes Mrs. Palmer turned to Clare.

"So, Clare, how did you meet Drew?" She asked kindly, Mrs. Torres looked over, an intrigued look coming over her face.

"Yes, Clare, I don't believe I've heard the story." She looked at Clare expectantly.

"We have a lot of classes together." Clare responded simply.

"Oh, so you're also a junior?" Mrs. Palmer questioned. Clare shook her head.

"No, I'm a sophomore." She responded, smiling.

"Really?" Mrs. Torres asked looking happy, "And you're in junior level honors classes?" Clare nodded.

"I was in the gifted program last year, but they decided to just put us in eleventh grade honor classes this year," She explains. _Shit, Mrs. Torres looks impressed. _

"That's amazing, honey!" She exclaims, Clare forces a smile.

"What's your last name?" Mrs. Palmer asks.

"Edwards." Clare responds simply.

"I used to teach at Degrassi," Mrs. Palmer explains, "I taught your sister, Darcy. How is she doing?"

"Oh, Darcy's doing great. She's been living in Kenya for the past year and a half, doing volunteer work."

"Well, that's great to hear. Such a great person, helping other people after all she's been through." Clare looks down, and swallows hard, really not wanting to relive the moment.

"Um, yeah." She fakes a small smile, Mrs. Torres looks confused, Mrs. Palmer gestures to her to not ask.

"So, you're coming to the football game tomorrow, right?" Mrs. Torres asks on a lighter note, Clare scans her brain for an excuse.

"I don't think I can, I have to go to a church fundraiser with my parents," Clare lies.

"Oh, come on! You have to come! Who else would Drew give his jersey to?" She replies frantically. Clare laughs nervously, and discretely elbows Drew in the stomach.

"Oww, uhh, Mom, Clare can't miss the fundraiser, I want her parents to actually like me!" Drew produces, his mother's smile falters.

"I'll call your parents!" She declares, "If I call, they will probably let you go!" Drew looks at Clare with a 'She will do it!' look.

"Y'know, I think I can get out of it." Clare fake smiles, and internally sighs.

"Oh, great! Make sure you give her your away jersey before she leaves, Drew!" Mrs. Torres calls out, as she scurries to say goodbye to some guests. After saying goodbye to the Palmers, Drew ushers Clare back to the family room, which Adam had apparently vacated.

"I'm sorry, she's a little too much." Drew says as they both sit back down on the couch.

"S'okay. It's not your fault." Clare replies simply, "Wait, Alli's going to be beyond pissed."

"She cornered us, it's not like we started up a conversation with her." Drew considers, Clare nods.

"But still, she warned me not to give her anything to work with!" She protests.

"What were you supposed to do? Ignore her? I was talking to Mr. Palmer, it's my fault, I should've brought you into our conversation." He replies.

"Still, Alli is going to be pissed!"

"Clare, calm down, all we have to do, is show up to the game tomorrow night, and on Saturday morning I'll tell her we had a big fight and broke up." He assures her, she nods.

"I think I'm going to head home..." She sighs, he holds up a finger.

"Hold on," He calls as he dashes out of the room. He comes back a few seconds later with a jersey in his hand. "You're going to be needing this tomorrow," He smiles. She laughs and takes the shirt from his hands.

"I'll see you tomorrow," She bids, as she strides out the front door, towards her house. Drew leans against the door frame, watching her with a dazed smile on his face.

: :

Revelations:

A. High school is awesome.

B. A kid in my History class looks exactly like Drew Garret (Michael Corinthos on General Hospital)

C. He's insanely cute.

D. Most important- you guys are the best readers!


	5. Chapter 5

I'm so happy right now! In four days I had over 1,000 views on the story! Thank you guys so much for reading, and reviewing! This chapter is about a hundred words shorter than my previous chapters, but it's my last day of summer and I want to go to the beach, so cut me some slack, por favor. Eli kinda channels Adam in this chapter, I have a feeling you'll know what I'm talking about ;)

: :

"So, how did it go?" Alli's voice rings out of the phone. After Clare had gotten home, she had stalled as much as possible on calling Alli. She had brushed her teeth, washed her face, double checked her Trig homework, and changed into pajamas.

"Ehhh..."Clare answered, unsure of what to say.

"Clare, what happened?" Alli's voice was worried, cautious as if she expected Clare to say she and Drew made out.

"His mother really liked me. As in, she's making me wear Drew's jersey to the football game tomorrow night." The line was quiet, Clare cringed.

"I thought I told you to avoid her!" She screeched, Clare squeezed her eyes shut.

"I did try to avoid her. Drew and I were practically in hiding the first hour, but then she came and found us and made us sit with her and her friends, and when I told her I couldn't go to the game she threatened to call my parents to get me to go." Clare talks a mile a minute praying Alli wouldn't hang up on her. If she had been talking to Eli he probably would've had a snarky remark like 'Stop, Rewind, Play.'

"So you're going to go?" Alli asks quietly.

"I have to" Clare says strongly.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Alli says sadly, before hanging up. Clare sighs, but fires a text to Drew.

Clare: Alli is beyond pissed.

She lay back on her bed, thinking back to today's activities. One in particular holds in her mind; playing twenty questions with Drew. He was really a lot different than she thought he would be. He really did want to get to know her, and be friends with her, and he was pretty funny. Unlike Eli, he actually showed what he was feeling, and didn't try to push her away. And when he stopped tickling her and left her laying on his stomach? Holy f- Clare snapped out of her trance to the faint sound of her phone buzzing, she grabbed it and read the new text.

Drew: Stop worrying, Clare. She will get over it.

Clare sighed as she lay back on her bed. Drew was right. She was doing this for Alli, it was not like she was trying to get Drew to herself... right?

: :

The next morning Clare was met by Drew as she walked towards Degrassi's doors.

"Good morning, _girlfriend." _He teases, as she approaches him. She stops and stands in front of him, leaving about eighteen inches between them.

"Morning, _boyfriend." _She mocks, giggling. Of course, Eli had picked the perfect moment to pass by, stomping slightly. Drew rolls his eyes and she can practically hear what he's thinking. Something along the lines of 'man that dude is moody.' He nods his head in the doors directions, and gestures to Clare to go first. She yanks open the door with so much force, she nearly looses her balance, she falls back slightly, into Drew's arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy." She brushes, her cheeks tinting a rosy shade. He shakes his head and smiles, fastening an arm around her small shoulders, and ushering her forward.

"If you wanted to be closer to me, you could've just said something." He teases, a mocking grin spreading across his face. Clare looks into his easy, soft blue eyes. _Nice break from the smoldering eyes of Eli. _She lightly hits him in the chest. "First the door and now me? Remind me to never get in a fight with you!" By now Eli had reached his purple and gold locker, and was angrily chucking books in, a scowl on his face.

"Hey, Eli!" Clare called out bravely, as she and Drew strolled past him, Drew's arm still wound around her shoulders. Eli stops for a moment, turns in curiosity and sarcastically smiles at the two.

"Hi." He replies grudgingly. Clare smiles at him, and Drew half waves with the hand on Clare's shoulder. Eli stares at the two again, before turning back to his locker.

"Jeal-ousss." Drew sings into Clare's ear as they continue down the crowded hallway.

"I wish." Clare mutters back, "This is so not working. Eli does not feel jealousy or at least does not show it. I must've done something." Drew shakes his head.

"Believe me, I know what jealousy looks like." Drew responds, a knowing grin on his face.

"What are we going to do about Alli?" She whispers, beginning to frown.

"You need to calm down." He replies, "We'll get to math early and talk to her. She will understand, it's one more date. It's not like we're going to fall in love." He replies, his blue eyes soft and understanding, Clare nods.

"I hope so." She says quietly, glancing down at her shoes.

"I know so." He utters softly, reassuringly squeezing her arm. "If you need me, just text." His soft tone makes her feel comfortable in the whirlwind of confusion she's been living in lately. She gives him a small smile and a nod before he turns to head to class. She begins to head to her next class, his inviting, caring, ocean eyes on her mind, leaving a very jealous Alli in her wake.

: :

Clare practically floats into her third period English class, with Drew still on her mind. _Stop it, Clare, this is wrong. He's Alli, your best friend's boyfriend! And a guy like Drew would never like a girl like me. _She attempts to shake his image from her head, but only ends up getting a confused look from Adam.

"What happened to you last night? You were gone when I was released from your mother's clutches." She jokes, finally snapping out of her trance.

"I fled." He replies simply, grinning. "I knew she would come back for me eventually, so I hid in my room, and read comics for a few hours."

"Smart move." She laughs.

"What did she make you do?" Adam asks.

"As much as I like your brother, I think football is honestly just really boring to watch, so when I told her I didn't think I could make it, she threatened to call my parents." Clare retells, not really minding her plans for tonight.

"Sounds like her." Adam muses, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Eli then decides to trudge into class, his combat boots almost stomping. He breezes past Clare and Adam without even a glance in their directions. Clare raises her eyebrows at Adam, who shrugs helplessly.

"What's wrong with you?" Clare questions, her eyes wide with wonder. Eli scoffs and turns around angrily.

"What's wrong with me?" He asks incredulously, his green eyes harsh and determined. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me?" She snaps back defensively, he nods his head slow and solid as if he was talking to a child.

"Yes, you." He cracks, his voice full with more venom than a vampire in one of Clare's fanfiction stories.

"What in the world would be wrong with me?" She flares, glancing at Adam who puts both of his hands up as to say 'Don't drag me into this!'

"Obviously something, if you're blowing off a project worth half of **our **grade to play house with the airhead you call a boyfriend!" He hisses, Clare stares at him still confused.

"Wha-" Realization smacks her right in the face. Dawes's assignment, she and Eli were partners. They finished about half the project which was due on Monday, but they had decided to meet after school at the Dot on Thursday to finish it. _Shit. Thursday. _"Oh crap, Eli, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot." She apologizes, slapping her forehead.

"Of course you did." He replies lividly, "Girls always ditch their friends the second they get new boyfriends." With that said, he turns around, leaving her stunned and slightly angry.

"Good morning, gentle people, today we are going to continue working on our projects!" Ms. Dawes exclaims, waltzing into the classroom. Clare wishes the argument had taken place a few minutes ago so she would've had time to leave, but now she was trapped for forty-two minutes with an English partner that hated her

: :

Revelations:

A. I am the only person that can literally run into an ex-boyfriend in a stadium filled with 50,000 other people.

B. That may have been the most awkward moment ever.

C. In a break while writing this I decided to paint my nails... I only painted my left hand? So now I have to go paint my right hand.

D. Writing Clare is so hard, because I curse like a lot and she does not curse at all.

:)


	6. Chapter 6

Badada. Hey hey hey little readers! How was your first day of school? Mine was amayzing (points to people who include in their review where that's from) I have my sights set on the Drew Garett look alike (wink wink) who has the prettiest eyes ever, and actually made me blush today. I have no clue when the next chapter will be posted due to the fact that I am beyond busy. It could be tomorrow or it could be friday, but I'm promising no later than that! All you DrewxClare fans will love this chapter, I promise ;)

: :

"He totally hates me!" Clare exclaims. She and Drew are back in the hallway during their lunch period. After forty-two minutes of pure awkwardness she had texted Drew who agreed they should meet for lunch.

"He does not hate you, he's just jealous." Drew corrects, running a hand through his hair. Clare shakes her head and throws her head back into the locker behind her, bracing the steely impact; however, Drew stuck his hand out just in time so Clare's head fell promptly into his soft hand. Clare turns to him confused, "Believe me, your head is going to hurt enough after dealing with my mother tonight." He jokes, she smiles and he moves his arm so its resting across her shoulders rather than behind her head.

He returns to his math homework. She sighs and turns to look at him.

"Thanks." She says simply, her tone genuine. He turns his head so they're making eye contact.

"For what?" He asks, obviously confused due to the fact her end of the deal was not working out.

"For putting up with me." She replies, her blue eyes shining, "I've been whining so much about Eli not liking me and you've been such a great friend." Mid sentence, she had grabbed his left hand resting on her shoulder and squeezed it. "So, uh thanks." He smiles at her and when she begins to pull her hand away, he grips it tighter.

"It's what I'm here for." He states, his eyes also twinkling. Their gazes are still locked as are their hands. It feels as if the world has stopped, and there's no one alive but them. It actually feels real, rather than forced. It feels like passion, instead of faux desire. "You have pretty eyes." He utters, and Clare is too stunned to think of the other person that had said that to her.

"So do you." Her tone is breathy, and she can feel his eyes on her lips, she feels like a magnet being pulled towards him, her eyelids begin to flutter as do his. They're close. Very close. So close. She can feel his breath on her face; it's warm and minty. They're centimeters apart now, he dips his head in anticipation as she tilts her head to meet his and she can feel the energy flowing between them. Now there is barely a centimeter between them, they both lean forward ever so slightly-"Clare, Drew, there you two are." Two pairs of blue eyes snap open, and fly back to their original position, Clare immediately release Drew's hand and he removes his arm and scratches his neck nervously. Mrs. Torres clacks down the hallway toward them, actually looking happy?

"Hi, Mrs. Torres," Clare practically squeaks, expecting the woman to reprimand her for almost kissing her son.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Drew asks through gritted teeth.

"Well, I had a board meeting, so I figured in the mean time, i would make sure Clare was coming to your game tonight." She grins, and turns her gaze from her son, to the girl sitting next to him.

"Uh yeah. I explained it to my parents and they totally understood." Clare responds, Mrs. Torres beams at the younger girl, Clare weakly grins.

"Great!" The middle aged woman glances around the teens, "Are you studying?" She asks clearly surprised.

"Yeah, we're studying _Chemistry_." Drew grins.

"Well, I better let you get back to it." With an approving nod, smile, and wave, Mrs. Torres stalks off, from where she came from, her heeling still clicking.

"Neither of us are enrolled in Chemistry!" Clare hisses after the woman was gone.

"I wasn't talking about class, Clare." He smirks, as the bell rings. She rolls her eyes and gathers her books.

"I'll see you later." She huffs, grabbing her books, and stalking down the hallway. He rolls his eyes, and watches her. _There's something about that girl. _He shakes his head before also grabbing his books.

: :

"Thank God, you're here!" Clare exclaims when she walks into math class and sees Alli. She sits down in front of the younger Bandahri, and immediately turns around. Like clockwork, Drew strolls into class, and upon seeing the girls takes a seat directly to the right of Alli.

"What did you two want to talk about?" Alli asks quietly, Clare wants to roll her eyes. What did she think they wanted to talk about? The weather?

"We know you're mad because this is dragging out a little bit longer than we thought it would be, but honestly there is nothing Clare or I could've done about it. You know my mom is crazy and she wants me to be the perfect son, with the perfect grades, and the perfect athletic reputation, and I'm guessing she thinks Clare is the perfect girlfriend?" Drew says sympathetically. Clare wants to smack him with the way he ended the pep talk.

"Oh great, my boyfriend thinks my best friend is the perfect girlfriend." Alli reacts, her tone hurt and sarcastic. She hangs her head in sorrow. Drew shrugs at Clare who gestures to let her handle it.

"Alli, that's not what he meant and you know it." She begins, "Drew likes you, not me. I like Eli, not Drew. After tonight, Drew and I will 'breakup' he'll be heartbroken and begin dating you again." Clare is used to dealing with Alli. She says she'll go along with a plan, then freezes up when there is a minor problem. With some reassuring it's an easy fix.

"So you guys don't like each other?" She asks, her tone still a little wary, both Clare and Drew glance at each other for a split second before shaking their heads.

: :

"Go." Drew whispers into Clare's ear, slightly pushing her forward. She turns to look at him, her blue eyes wide in fear.

"No." She practically whimpers, he grasps her elbows, so she's standing right in front of him and looking into his eyes.

"Do you want this to work out?" He asks her obviously knowing the answer, she nods. "Then go." He responds, releasing her arms, and turning her around so her back is to him.

"What do I say?" She whispers, obviously forgetting just about everything they had just talked about. She and Drew both had study hall the same period as Eli. She and Drew had decided to sit in the classroom today rather than the hallway. They had chosen two seats in the back row next to each other, while Eli had chosen a seat in the front. The students around them were either talking, or sleeping so the room had an 'indoor voice volume'

"Apologize, say you were helping me through a rough time, and you totally forgot about it. Ask him to re-schedule for tomorrow night, so you can be all upset about our breakup and he'll comfort you." Drew whispers back, his hands gripping her shoulders with confidence.

"You are really good at this." She whispers back, honestly surprised.

"Yeah, I know." He grins and she smacks him slightly, hoping to shrink his ego a bit. "Oww... now go!" He pushes her lower back lightly, towards Eli. She turns around and gives him one final glare, before taking a deep breath, and heading towards Eli.

"Can we uh talk?" She asks cautiously, slowly lowering herself into the seat next to him. He looks up from his open Sharpie and semi-blackened nails, with a blank face.

"I guess?" It sounds like a question more than a response, he turns back to his marker, and seems to wait for her to start the conversation.

"I'm really sorry about last night." She says, after what seems like a lifetime of silence. "I really lost track of time, Drew's mother practically demanded I come to some dinner she was running, and he's been having a hard time with her lately, and with everything he's dealing with, I just wanted to make it easier for him." She finishes. _Sorta true. _her head marvels. He glances at her out of the corner of his sage eyes, basically saying: 'Is that it?' She waits, a few second before she speaks.

"Eli, honestly... you're one of my best friends, and I don't want to loose all the good times we've had over this." He stops scribbling but doesn't look at her. After a few seconds he slowly turns his head in her direction.

"It's pretty sad that I'm your best friend," he smirks, his green eyes lit up with mockery. Clare smiles, and lightly smacks him on the arm.

"Ouch!" he cries dramatically, "Maybe we shouldn't be friends after all!" he jokes, earning him another smack. If Clare would have turned around, she would of noticed that Drew's usually bright and full of life eyes had turned grayish and dull. His usually bubbly personality had faltered, and he was frowning. But she was too engaged her little flirt-fest with Eli to even think of him.

: :

Revelations:

A. If Novak Djokovic was not nine years older than me, I would marry him this instant.

B. It's 8:15 and I'm seriously considering going to bed right now.

C. I have the attention span of a two year old.

D. Being short does in no way help you get through a cluster of senior guys in the hallway

xx


	7. Chapter 7

*waves sheepishly* Umm hi remember me? I know, I know it's been so long and you guys deserved an update like two months ago, and I know I kept a lot of you waiting. As for my explanation, I just did some stupid things and my parents took my laptop and blackberry. But fear not, I'm back and refreshed with ideas. I hope everyone had a great holiday and Happy New Year! I hope you partied it up and rang in 2O11 the right way. I spent it in the airport... Anyway back to the long awaited release of the new chapter.

; ;

Clare absentmindedly tugs at the sleeves of her shirt. She stares at her reflection in the mirror and sighs as she turns her back to the reflective surface. She's paired the long sleeved shirt with Drew's jersey along with dark washed skinny jeans and light brown ugg boots. She shivers slightly, as she had picked up as a nervous habit.

"I hope he doesn't mind that I know nothing about football." She mumbles to herself as she sweeps her ocean eyes with a powder shimmer. "Wait," she pauses as the makeup closes with a satisfying click. "Why do I care what Drew thinks? I like Eli! Drew's with Alli, my best friend! Well... I guess he's technically with me right now... NO! He's Alli''s!" She squeezes her eyes shut in an attempt to erase Drew from her thoughts. No such luck because trying to stop thinking about Drew only made her think about him even more. The color of his easy electric eyes and they sense of security she felt when he was near her and that moment a few hours ago when their lips came so incredibly close to touching.

"Stop it!" she reprimanded herself, but again the memories only grew. She felt the tingles that circled around her lower back after he had tickled her into telling him an embarrassing moment, the way his words stuck in her head and replayed constantly, and the feeling of his warm hands rough from years of football still soft made hers feel complete.

"Oh no. I like him." Clare's voice ruptured as she flopped on to her bed, eyes tightly shut.

; ;

Drew looked around the locker room that he and his teammates occupied. Most of the guys were putting their jerseys on and chatting. Drew felt like he was in a dream like state. He could see and hear everything going on around him but he had no reaction. His eyes rested on KC who was messing around with a few of the other guys. His mind immediately drifted to Clare. Sweet, innocent, amazing little Clare. His mind then switched to a vision of sweet, innocent, little Clare with the big bad jerk he called his best friend. He pictured Clare and KC hanging out in the hallways during lunch, like he and Clare did now. He pictured them going on dates. He pictured them kissing. His eyes flew open and glowered with anger as he slammed his locker shut with as much force as he could muster.

"Dude, you alright?" KC asked oblivious.

"Fine." Drew snapped back, his blue eyes turning to ice. KC stared at his friend for a moment before he drew back and walked away, his head shaking.

As much as he hated the idea of Clare and KC, he hated the idea of Eli the idiot, who repeatedly hurt Clare, even more.

"Woah, wait, what? Since when do I care who Clare dates?" He whispers increduously. He shakes his head and continues on, "Drew, you cannot like her. She's Alli's best friend, one of Adam's good friends, and she likes that douche Eli." he whispers on, ignorant of the people around him.

"Seriously, dude what is up with you?" KC asks reappearing with his helmet in hand. Drew's eyes shift their focus to a very perplexed looking KC, not a look he saw often from him. "OKay, is this about me and Clare?" he asks obviously not beating around the bush.

"Umm... yeah, question. I just care about her a lot." not a lie, "and I was just wondering uh, you know what went down between you two because after all you're my best friend and she's my girlfriend." The 'g' word rolled off his tongue easily, leaving a burning sensation in it's wake. Drew swallowed hard and waited for KC's reaction. KC sighed and took a seat next to Drew on the bench.

"Dude, listen. I'm not going to lie and say it was nothing because at the time Clare was my life. We were really close and without her I probably wouldn't have gotten this far. She was something I had to fight for and when she was finally mine it was amazing. She just knew how to help me through everything I was dealing with. I had anger issues and she helped me direct them to something positive, basketball. And basketball was great and my anger fueled me to become a better player, but it also came with a price and that was losing Clare. I mean it was doable having Clare and basketball but I just got so wrapped up in cheerleaders and don't even get me started on my coach, and it was best Clare and I split." KC kept his eyes averted most of the time and only looked up when he had finished telling the story. Drew listened intently and nodded. "But trust me, I'm happy she found someone like you who will take that chance and put her before basketball, if you know what I mean." Drew laughed and nodded. Most of the guys began clearing out of the locker room.

"Thanks, man. That's all I needed to hear." He said, slapping KC's palm. KC nodded and began heading out the door.

"She is a great kisser, isn't she?" He joked before he headed out the door leaving Drew alone. Drew's blue eyes sparkled. I'll let you know when I find out.

;

Meh, not my best, I know, kinda a filler. Thanks for being so patient! I'll update as soon as I can!

Recent Revelations:

A. Taylor Swift is just about the best song writer ever.

B. One of my friends is in a band on iTunes and I never knew.

C. Tumblr is so so addicting.

D. No one ever looks at my profile.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Hi there! Big thanks to all who review, you keep me going! Sorry I haven't answered any of the reviews yet I've been super busy!

; ;

"GO! Oh my God! RUN! What the hell are they doing? Throw the ball dammit!" Clare cringed and glanced at the over eager girl that sat next to her. She wasn't really a close friend but then again besides Alli, Clare didn't have too many close friends. The girl was in a couple of Clare's classes and had invited Clare to sit with her, probably just because Clare was becoming so popular due to her blossoming relationship with Drew. The stands were packed with tons of spectators who were all eagerly watching Degrassi play Powell High School. The scored was tied 7-7 with two minutes left in the second quarter.

"Heather, what exactly is going on?" Clare asked the sports fanatic who had finally stop screaming in Clare's ear.

"Okay, so Degrassi has the ball, they're on the forty yard line. It's a first down and they have four tries to make it to the thirty yard line. If they don't make it, they can try for a field goal which would give them three points. Now watch, Owen's going to snap the ball to Drew, and Drew is going to throw the ball to either KC or Danny." Clare watched as the scene described unfolded before her eyes. Owen handed the ball off to Drew, who glanced around the field for an open receiver. The linemen blocked Powell's defense from getting too close to the quarterback. Drew locked eyes with KC who was planted in the end zone. A smile unfolded on Drew's face as he drew his arm back and sent the ball spiraling towards KC. A defensive player from Powell leaped up in attempt to block KC from catching the ball, but KC jumped higher and managed the catch the ball sending the crowd, (mostly Heather) into cheers. The clock wound down signaling half time and Drew whipped his helmet off and jogged off the field, sending Clare a wink before doing so.

"You're so lucky." Heather sighed, obviously catching Drew's wink. Clare laughed and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I am pretty lucky, huh?" _Too bad he's my best friend's boyfriend._

"Clare, we're going to go get some hot chocolate. Wanna come?" Heather gestured to her friend who Clare didn't know.

"No, that's okay, you guys go ahead!" She encouraged, plastering a smile on her face.

"Want us to bring you back anything?" What's-her-face asked, _man I should really learn her name!_

"No, thanks! I'm good." Clare smiled sweetly and turned to let the girls out. The girls smiled and went off on their way.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Popular." Clare didn't have to turn to know the voice. _Adam._

"Hi, Adam," She replied in a sing-song voice, scooting over to make room for him on the bleachers.

"Hi, Clare. How's everything going?" He smiled and sat down next to her.

"Oh great. I know nothing about football so Heather from our English class has decided to explain it to me." Adam laughs and adjusts his hat. He's wearing a black and white striped hoodie and jeans. "Nice school spirit by the way..." She adds sarcastically, grinning.

"Ha ha very funny. I'll have you know the only reason I'm here is to support my brother, just like you; however, I prefer to do it without wearing that ugly purple color," Adam remarks, sticking his tongue out at Clare.

"Drew is just so loved!" Clare jokes, pressing her hands to her heart and a faux dreamy look appearing on her face.

"Hold up now, you guys have been dating for like three days and you already love him?" Adam asks, eyes gleaming with mischief. Clare's face goes from shocked to tongue-tied to embarrassed.

"Oh you know what I meant!" She snaps, smacking him on the arm.

"Clare's in love, Clare's in love, Clare's in love," he repeated in a singsong voice, Clare's cheeks turned beet red, as she stuffed her head in her hands, mortified.

"Adam. Stop. It." She mumbled, her words slightly muffled by her hands. Adam laughed and patted her on the back.

"Oh, calm down, C! I'm just kidding! You probably don't even like my brother!" He joked, his eyes shining. Clare forced a laugh.

"Good one." Clare had never been happy to see Heather and what's-her-face in her life.

"Oh, hey, Adam!" Heather said cheerily as the pair slipped past Clare and took a seat next to her.

"Hey, Heather, Taylor." Ah Taylor! That was her name!

"Look, the third quarter's about to start!" Heather said enthusiastically.

"Great, you can continue giving me the play by play!" Clare joked. The teams ran back on to the field and Degrassi preformed their warmups led by Drew. The third quarter went by quickly, the score at 14-17, Degrassi was down and needed win.

The fourth quarter kicked off and neither of the teams scored. The clock wound down to less than a minute left. Degrassi had control of the ball on the 50 yard line. Drew managed to hand the ball off for a 10 yard gain, which landed the team on the 40 yard line. Drew glanced up at the scoreboard clock. 15.2 seconds. The clock began winding down and the team scattered around the field. The fans were all sitting on the edge of their seats. Now or never. Drew looked around the field and dodged the linemen attempting to bring him down. Suddenly, a look of detemination formed on Drew's faced and he confidently drew his arm back and released the ball, spending it soaring toward a wide open KC, standing in the end zone. KC's fingers clutched around the ball, and the crowd exploded. Clare and Adam jumped to their feet along with Heather and Taylor and cheered enthusiastically for Drew.

Drew pulled his helmet off to reveal his perfect smile. He gave KC a nod and patted him on the back. The team continued to celebrate, jumping up and down around Drew and KC. Drew laughed and turned and pointed at Clare as to say 'That was for you,' The girls around her squealed and all chattered eagerly.

"Are you going to go give him a hug or something?" Adam asked, bluntly. Clare's cheeks burned and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah, sure, I guess." Clare hesitantly followed Adam down the bleachers and around the clearing out fans. He led her around the crowds and to the edge of the gate where the tea, was clearing out. Drew's eyes lit up with happiness as he approached the two. He reached out and pulled Clare into his arms the second he was in arms length. Clare melted into his arms with her arms wrapped around his neck. She felt herself being lifted off the ground as he pulled her even close a spun her around. He put her down and gave her a smile before slapping his brother's palm.

"That was so amazing! You did so good!" Clare exclaimed rubbing his bicep. He grinned.

"Thanks, I hope my brother didn't drive you too crazy," He winked, and ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" Adam wailed, frowning.

"Not at all!" Clare smiled, giving Adam a reassuring smile.

"Hey, Drew, we're all gonna go for pizza. You guys coming?" KC asked awkwardly, appearing in front of the trio.

"Don't look at me!" Adam exclaimed, "I'm tired, I'm going home. You too go have fun!" Adam gave the pair a smile before heading off. Drew looked at Clare who gave him a smile.

"You sure?" he asked her, she nodded, "Okay sure, we're in! Just let me go shower!" With a hug he was off, trailing behind KC. Heather and Taylor appeared at Clare's side.

"This is going to be so much fun!" They squealed looping Clare's arm through theirs.

; ;

Now that I have finally gotten this off my chest I can finally go do my homework.

Recent Revalations:

1. Boys suck.

2. The second I get myself to give up on a guy he comes at me stronger than ever.

3. Fanfiction is going to ruin my grades.

4. I must go do my religion homework!


	9. Chapter 9

Sure, Clare had been to Degrassi football games before, but for some reason this one seemed to be a lot different than the other ones. Usually, Alli would drag her along and they would sit in the stands together by themselves and mock the girls that fawned over the players. Right now, Clare was acting like one of those girls, and Alli was home by herself. Speaking of acting like a love struck stalker, Clare was being dragged around by Heather and Taylor, who were giggling and babbling about how football pants were by far the best invention ever. Clare nodded and smiled, and pretended that she was interested in their conversation. After all, she was basically stuck with them, for the time being while she waited for Drew, and they were tagging along for pizza. Clare continued to listen to their mindless chatter as they approached the steps of Degrassi, where Drew had promised to meet her. She was hoping that Drew showered quickly, so she could escape the overwhelming typical teenage girls.

"Clare, there you are!" A familiar voice called. Clare peered into the surrounding crowd to find Mrs. Torres, moving towards her, from a group of some of the players' mothers. Mrs. Torres was sporting Degrassi colors and a smile. Clare excused herself from the other girls, and headed toward Drew's mother, bracing herself.

"Hi, Mrs. Torres!" Clare greeted, plastering a smile on her face. Mrs. Torres continued to smile.

"It's so great to see you, Sweetie! I was afraid you weren't going to make it!" Thoughts raced through Clare's mind, was it possible that Drew's mother was actually being nice to one of Drew's girlfriends? Sure, there were a few people around, but they were mostly Degrassi students, so it didn't really seem to be an act.

"It's great to see you too! I'm so happy I could be here, Drew played such a great game. I'm sure you're very proud of him!" Clare felt like a lot was riding on this conversation. Mrs. Torres seemed to really like Clare so far, and Clare was happy about that, because Drew was a good friend to her and really meant a lot. Plus, Mrs. Torres is notorious for meddling in Drew's life, especially his love life. Look at Alli! Because Mrs. Torres didn't like her, Drew had to hide how much he really liked her, all because his mother didn't approve.

"He really did, didn't he? He's really gotten used to playing here at Degrassi, he seems to have such a great bond with the boys now. KC has really helped him along, and has helped improve his playing." Clare found herself smiling about how happy Mrs. Torres sounded about her son, she seemed genuinely proud and it was clear that she really cared about Drew and wanted the best for him.

"Yeah, KC and Drew really work well together!" Clare agreed, trying to keep the conversation rolling. Mrs. Torres nodded.

"Listen, Clare, I really wanted to talk to you about something, and I know Drew is going to be out soon, so we better talk about this now," Clare suddenly felt awkward, she had no idea what Mrs. Torres was going to say, so she tried to keep calm and nodded. "Clare, I've never seen my son like this before. He never stops talking about you at home, and even when Adam brings you up Drew lights up. He usually never even mentions his girlfriends, but there is something about you, that seems to have gotten his attention. You've really changed him for the better, Clare. I know that it's only been a few days, but I can already tell that you and Drew have a bright future ahead. I can tell my son has strong feelings for you, Clare, and I really hope you feel the same way about him. All I'm saying is, please don't hurt him, because he deserves someone like you, Clare." Clare was stunned. She had no idea what to say to Drew's mom. Could Drew really be acting like that? Was he acting or had he really changed? Did he really talk about her all of the time? Or was Mrs. Torres just saying that? How was she supposed to react to that? What should she say? She and Drew had planned on having a very public break up _tomorrow. _How could she tell his mother that she really really liked him and break up with him the next day? Mrs. Torres looked at Clare expectantly, and Clare opened her mouth to speak, unsure of what was going to come out. Clare felt an arm wrap around her waist and Drew appeared next to her, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Hi, Baby," He grinned at Clare,"Hi, Mom?" he turned toward his mother and tilted his head slightly, obviously confused.

"Hi, Honey," Mrs. Torres smiled, "Great game! You did such a great job, Clare and I were just talking about how amazing you were!" Drew smiled widely, and Clare could tell that deep down, he really did care about what his mom thought of him, and was obviously very happy that she was proud of him.

"Thanks, Mom." He continued smiling and tightened his grip on Clare.

"Well, I'm going to get going!" Mrs. Torres started, "I'll see you at home, Drew, don't be too late. And Clare, remember what I said,"

"Bye, Mrs. Torres!" Clare called, as the woman headed to her car. Drew kept his strong grip on Clare, and looked at her curiously.

"What was that all about?" He questioned, once his mother was out of ear shot. Clare looked up at him.

"Oh, it was nothing," She brushed it off and he eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you sure? Do I need to tickle it out of you, again?" He joked, wiggling his fingers around her waist.

"No, really it was nothing!" Clare laughed, jerking out of his grip to escape the tickling. "Where is everyone?" she asked, noticing the deserted area around them.

"I told them to go ahead, and we would meet them there." Drew explained, Clare nodded, "Shall we?" he asked gesturing towards his car.

"We shall," She smiled, as the two made the short walk to his car.

"My lady," he teased, opening the passenger door for her, she involuntarily smiled and slid into the car.

"Clare?" He asked, after a few minutes of silence. She turned away from her window and looked at him.

"Yeah?" she answered, quieter than usual.

"Is, uh everything okay? You're kinda starting to worry me." He sounded genuinely concerned for her.

"I just have a lot of stuff on my mind right now, you know? I feel like I have so many people that I have to please and I know I can't please them all, but I don't know which ones I want to make happy." He watched her out of the corner of his eye, and felt the need to hold her hand, so he did. Taking one hand off the wheel he laced his hand with hers, catching her totally off guard.

"I know how you feel, it's impossible to please everyone around you, so you just have to realize what is really important in life, that's what I've realized lately." He replied, his hand tight in hers, and his eyes on the road. Clare watched his eyes glow in the moon light, and gripped his hand.

"But how do you know who to please? Everything just seems so important right now..." She trailed off, wondering what he thought she meant by having to please everyone.

"See, that's the hard part, Clare. You never know if you're making the right decision. You just have to pray that you are making the right one." His words left her thinking about everything that was swirling around her mind: Eli, Alli, her parents, and most importantly, Drew.

"Hey, Drew? Thanks for listening." He smiled and brushed her hand with his thumb.

"It's what I'm here for," Clare smiled both inside and out. "Hey, why don't we skip the pizza and go to the Dot, just the two of us and get coffee and just forget the rest of the word?" he suggested, secretly just because he wanted to spend more time with Clare.

"I don't want to take you away from your friends. You played an awesome game tonight and you should celebrate with the team! It's your night, you deserve it." Clare protested, as much as she wanted to hang out alone with Drew, she didn't want him to be miserable, when he could be having a good time with his friends.

"Trust me, Clare, I want to just spend time with you. The guys will understand, and we'll celebrate with them next time!" He assured, taking his eyes off of the road for a second to give her a reassuring smile.

"Alright then, coffee it is!" Clare found herself truly happy and excited. Drew found a parking space in front of The Dot, and the two found a table inside, and ordered two coffees.

"So, be honest with me, please. Did that talk with my mom bring up all of those emotions about letting people down?" Drew asks, sipping his coffee. Clare sighed and averted her eyes, nodding slowly. "I had a feeling," he explained. "Wanna tell me what's up?"

"Not really," Clare laughed, and kept her gaze elsewhere.

"Please," Drew pleaded like a little boy, inching in his seat, and swinging Clare's hand back forth. "Clarebear, please, please, please!" Clare rolled her eyes, "I will resort to tickling!" Somehow, Drew always knew how to lighten the mood.

"You wouldn't dare. We're in a public place, Drew." She taunted, Drew raised his eyebrows.

"Clare, do we need to take this outside?" He fired back rising out of his chair.

"Drew, sit down!" Clare ordered, knowing that he would drag her outside, just to tickle her.

"Only for you, Baby," he winked, Clare shook her head, "Now tell me!"

"It's a long story, and it's really not that important, she just... well, she thinks that you're happier than you've been in a long time, and that I'm the source of this happiness, so she just doesn't want me to hurt you. And I had no idea how to react to that because this whole thing is supposed to end." Clare kept her eyes on her hands, and Drew leaned back in his chair and listened intently.

"Clare, you don't have to worry about her, I'll just say that things didn't work out between us and that we gave it a try but we were better off just as friends. Seriously, don't think twice about it, she's not going to freak out on you." Drew assured her, drumming his fingers on the table.

"But, all of the stuff she said about you being happier, is that true?" She asked quietly, making eye contact.

"I don't know what it is about you, Clare, but there's something about you that makes me wanna get to know you and keep this going a little bit longer..." He trailed off, this time he was the one keeping his eyes fixated on the table. "And I know that you like Eli, and I'm supposed to like Alli, but I'm not really sure what's going on here, but i can tell you that I think it's something good."

"I'll be honest here, and I'll tell you that I feel the same way. When I'm with Eli, everything has to be intense and have a secret message behind it, but when I'm with you, things are simple and you're so straightforward, and I really like that." She replied shyly, a small smile playing on her face. Drew grinned from ear to ear.

"I think it's time I get you home, Ms. Edwards," He smirked, grabbing her hand and leading her out into the night, with butterflies in his stomach and a fluttering heart.

* * *

Hello darlings!

So sorry I've been gone so long! I've had a lot going on, but I felt the need to update this asap. I just got back from a lovely vacation and I'm ready to write! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I cannot wait to read your reviews and hear what you think. Thanks for being patient!

Recent Revalations:

A. I write 1000x better when I listen to Kid Cudi

B. Tumblr is super addictive (anyone have one? include your link!)

C. My bed is really comfy. hehe

D. This chapter is exactly 2,000 words (excluding my babbling)


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